Chapter Six
Managing Resources
“Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal.”
Walt Disney
Managing resources means keeping track of multiple priorities at the same time. On a day-to-day level, this means establishing organizational habits, for yourself and your production office team to stay on track. Routine, structure and checklists are a means to stay on top of the schedule and budget. However you do it, set up a systematic way to keep the project on time, evaluate today, tomorrow, the next week of shooting, then the next.
Today
- Schedule and Budget
- Big Deal
- Safety, Food and Comfort for cast and crew
- Payroll-related activity
- Place
- People
- Equipment
Tomorrow
- Schedule and Budget
- Big Deal
- Safety, Food and Comfort for cast and crew
- Payroll-related activity
- Place
- People
- Equipment
Eve Honthaner’s indispensable The Complete Film Production Handbook presents a brilliant checklist of weekly preproduction activities, as well as great systems to order your paperwork (and pretty much everything else). Actionable checklists can help keep production meetings focused. They can be something very simple—like the following:
Fig. 6.1
Detailed Checklists Help Keep your Team on Track
Or, create a detailed list to keep forward momentum. On smaller films, often the core team is a handful of people working multiple positions. Under the overall leadership of the producer, producing staff spearheads business and administrative duties, while the directing unit leads artistic concerns, with everyone contributing to finding cast and crew. The following is a preproduction flow chart of tasks, which can be expanded, or parsed down and allocated to a timeline and assigned to team members.
Table 6.1
Relationship Between Script, Schedule and Budget
The quickest way to reduce your schedule and budget are to cut—cut script pages, cut scenes, locations and characters. In the best possible world, this happens as early as possible.
The script, schedule and budget are interconnected; whoever is responsible for making script changes must relay them to you on a regular basis. Once you learn of script changes, discuss with the AD and Director how this will influence the schedule and budget. This information needs to immediately flow to correct parties, so print revised pages on different color paper and disseminate to department heads. Rental dates may need to be changed, call times shifted, personnel schedules updated. Attend to this as quickly as possible, due to the ripple effect from script, to schedule, to budget. Hiring one less, or one more actor will affect wardrobe, makeup/hair, lens choices, catering, space for dressing, perhaps sets, props, transportation and paperwork.
The UPM or Line Producer spends time in the production office and on the set and needs eyes and ears in both places at all times. Without up-to-date information, a link between the script, schedule and budget is lost. Make a point to schedule brief production meetings with the core team for whoever is available at the top, middle and end of the day—ask every day—the AD, Director, or script supervisor to stay abreast of the latest.
Lock It Up
For a time, everything is in flux, then at some point during preproduction things get locked—the script, schedule and budget. Once locked, final decisions can be made and guide every decision. Initial efforts leading up to principal photography are to lock these items up, then create a shoot based on the final results.
People are the most powerful resource. Investigate personnel difficulties quickly. Most filmmakers want to do a good job, facilitated by a clear understanding of their duties and a key crew member to answer their questions.
Production Accountant, AD, and Line Producer
The Line Producer, AD and Production Accountant work together to maintain the integrity of the production by tending to different facets of the schedule and budget. The AD’s focus is on the set and schedule on behalf of the Director’s vision, the Accountant’s focus is on the schedule and flow of money and the Line Producer’s focus is on balancing the schedule and budget with input from both parties. Everyone works to stay on schedule and under the guiding hand of the Producer.
The Production Accountant (AKA key production accountant, or production auditor) pays the bills, directs payroll activities, signs check, keeps the books, oversees petty cash and prepares very specific budgeting and cost reports; like the cash flow report—how money is to be spent over time on a weekly basis and cost reports showing where the money went, or day (hot costs). The production accountant is a critical team member, auditing spending and keeping an eye on potential cost overruns. If you have a completion bond in place, the accountant reports to them as required.
In addition to providing reliable, timely information and keeping them safe and fed, get your cast and crew paid properly and on time. This will generate goodwill, loyalty and hard work. Both you and the production accountant must know who is working through a loan-out so the taxes are correct, as well as union/non-union status of each employee.
Most films incur bills to be paid right away, so bring in an accountant early. While not required to be a CPA, that person should have experience specifically with film and TV production accounting and understand location incentive requirements (if that is part of the financing plan). Production accounting is different from financial estate planning or tax return preparation. When interviewing potential accountants and accounting companies, ask which software they know, so that it works with your system.
Outsourcing payroll makes everyone’s life easier, since your production revolves around the payroll cycle. If doing payroll yourself, discuss with your accountant how best to set it up. Payroll companies include: Indiepay, Entertainment Partners, Cast and Crew, Ease Entertainment and Media Services, and the combination of payroll services and software is generally a package deal.
Meticulous attention to detail, accuracy and honesty are qualities to look for in your accounting team. When you interview accountants, find out if they provide the following services for all the phases of the project.
Pre-Production
- Assist in production company set-up/filing system
- Obtaining Federal ID#’s
- Set up bank accounts
- Retain payroll company, etc.
- Budget Preparation
- Cash Flow Analysis/Reports
- Purchase Order/Check Requisition/Invoice System
- Bookkeeping—properly record and account transactions
Production and Post
- Budgeting
- Accounts Payable
- Payroll
- Petty Cash
- Cost Reporting
- Hot Cost Reporting
- Bank Reconciliations
- Insurance Claims
- Bank Reconciliations
- Re-shoot accounting
- Auditing: double check that production financing was spent as planned
- State Tax Rebate Filing
- Profit Participation Payout Calculations and Payment Management
- 1099 Filings
- Taxation Consultation
- Union Deferment Payout Calculations
- Bookkeeping Services
- Record Storage
Establishing a system of controls will help you keep an eye on money during production. Purchase orders are used to approve a cost in advance of actual payment. Knowing in advance what will be spent keeps money from flying out the window due to last minute requests not vetted through proper channels. Department heads have to sign off on purchase orders as pertains to their intentions and use and their portion of the budget. Invoices, when they come in, get matched to the appropriate approved Purchase Order, approved by Department Head (double-checked with time card if appropriate) and paid by check, entered into the accounting system and filed. Check requisitions (or check requests) are a request for a check, or wire transfer, for an immediate purchase for a shoot and are preferable to using petty cash, as you will have a paper trail. A Petty Cash system for requests and reimbursement, department-approved and checked timecards for Payroll submission help maintain order and ultimately save money.
The First Assistant Director (AKA AD) Runs the Set
The AD helps establish the shooting schedule and maintain it, keeping things moving smoothly—working with the UPM to make the most efficient plan will make the best use of the time and work of the Director, crew, equipment and cast. The AD shadows the Director—relaying information from Director to Crew and vice versa. This is a key team member and together with the UPM they keep the production running. On shoots with inexperienced directors, a great AD helps keep the bus on the road.
Compact crews may include just one AD. Sometimes it’s necessary to add another, a 2nd AD. (AKA Key 2nd AD) to wrangle call sheets and other paperwork, oversee actors’ preparation and work with background actors.
Complex productions might utilize a 2nd 2nd AD and/or 3rd AD hired for a complicated day, or cumbersome situations like moving large groups, to supervise PAs (production assistants). Union ADs are members of the DGA.
The Line Producer Runs the Production Office
A problem solver, the LP or UPM is responsible for all below the line costs. UPMs are members of the DGA, Line producers are not; their duties are similar. A UPM is usually hired by a producer of a film or television show and is responsible for watching all the costs of the project, with the intention of delivering the film or television show on budget at the end of principal photography. When the shooting begins, they may divide their time between the office and the set, or may work out of a trailer on the set.
A Line producer or UPM’s duties include: breaking down the script, preparing an initial schedule and budget, financial negotiations, preparing a preliminary shooting schedule which the AD takes over, hiring the crew and overseeing director-approved hires.
Management duties include approving production expenditures, negotiating salaries and equipment rates, approving time cards, approving call sheets and production reports and settling conflicts.
Optimize the Shoot
Every shoot is different, but it’s common sense to plan ahead as much as possible. Communicate so everyone is on the same page, know the rules and parameters of your shoot and conserve energy and money to any extent possible.
No Unnecessary Movement
Every movement during the course of your shoot takes time—and production time is the most expensive time.
Every camera setup, relight, blocking and rehearsal, rigging, production meetings, eating, traveling, all take time. The only time that actually makes it into your movie is the time when crew is working, actors are acting and the director’s directing with camera and sound rolling. Create a map of your locations to guarantee the shortest route and most cost efficient order.
Fig. 6.2
Use a Map to Optimize Shoot Time and Reduce Movement if Possible
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Consider the Weather
Get a weather app on your phone and put two people in charge of daily weather reports (from different sources). Check with the WeatherChannel.com periodically during shoot days to avert delays.
Check historical weather in the Farmer’s Almanac (www.FarmersAlmanac.com) 1–2 years back. For other historical weather information, the National Weather Service (www.weather.gov) will lend guidance for seasonality. You will plan weather backup plans in any case.
Days Off, Turnaround, Meal Times
If you are shooting union, learn the rules and plan to adhere to them strictly; otherwise, penalties and fines will add up. When shooting non-union, use common sense and use the union rules as a guide.
Days off give your cast and crew both a physical and emotional rest. Five-day weeks are standard on local shoots and six-day weeks on distant shoots. Depending on the scope of the film, you may be able to double shift your production by hiring a second unit to get covers on the weekend.
Working with the union, pay strict attention to Turnaround time (AKA rest time), the minimum time off between days of successive shooting.
- DGA—8 hours
- SAG—12 hours
- IATSE and Below the Line—10 hours
- Teamsters—No
Meal times— the standard 6 hours after starting work, minimum of ½-hour for hot catered lunch and 1-hour long for anything else. In addition to the unions, state laws dictate meal intervals and length, so check the state Department of Labor website to make sure you are in compliance with the law. Really good hot breakfasts will get people to work on time and it isn’t unusual for crew to catalogue past work experiences according to quality and quantity of food. Catering = buffet and full meals, Kraft Services = snacks available all the time.
Overtime isn’t just limited to time and a half; laws dictating double time over 12 hours are state-by-state (check department of labor website for applicable state) and unions dictate overtime up to 3 times the established hourly rate for certain circumstances.
Using a Second Unit
A second unit is like a mini-crew, led by the 2nd Unit director and a cinematographer. (The Director of the film is technically considered the First Unit Director.)
The 2nd unit captures secondary footage—without key actors, without dialogue. They may be sent out to capitalize on great weather, golden hour, or accommodate a tight schedule for a particular actor or location access, film inserts, close-ups, handheld work, cutaways, exteriors, establishing shots and sometimes stunts.
2nd unit footage may not be considered the primary story-telling points, but is critical in assisting the editor, providing footage to build a story, providing details, transitions, variety, character motivation and perspective for the viewer.
Even though you are paying for additional crew (and support personnel if needed) and their gear, an efficient second unit saves time and money. Weighing the price of a 2nd Unit should be compared to how tight the schedule is (with shooting occurring in two places at once) and your director’s input.
A second unit is different from a multi-camera setup, when several cameras (A-Camera, B-Camera, etc.) shoot one scene at the same time. It is worth the expense when shooting a complex scene (particularly one that cannot be easily repeated), such as crowd scenes, choreography, stunts, action, explosions, special effects and animals.
Other Factors
Department budgets: department heads must sign off on their portion of the budget and keep to them, by reporting to you. When new spending is mentioned, find out how it’s going to be paid for—what other line items in the budget will be reduced to cover new costs. The director, producer and AD must support you in these efforts to safeguard the budget. When your team begins to make promises, remind them of the financial consequences.
Lighting incurs expense. Not only do you have to budget for the equipment but for electricity as well. Whenever possible, condense night shooting in your schedule. If there are many interior scenes, which take place at night in the screenplay, seek locations which may be dressed as night scenes (fewer or no windows). Set up the schedule to shift to a night schedule, or, instead of starting late, discuss with the AD whether it makes sense to set call times in the late afternoon, just before dark.
During Sunrise and Sunset (AKA Golden Hour or Magic Hour), natural lighting and shadow is the most beautiful, as opposed to outdoor lighting at high noon when shadows are harsh. Your DP and director will most likely want to exploit sunrise and/or sunset during the schedule to achieve a specific effect. While there are hundreds of filters available, including a sunrise filter, you cannot pay for the quality of light during these times of day and requests to schedule around these times should be accommodated. (Schedule these early on in case the weather doesn’t cooperate). You can check sunrise and sunset times in advance to know how much daylight you will have available (www.sunrisesunset.com).
Cloudy and overcast days also create flattering light effects and your DP and Director may want to adjust the schedule, if possible, on the fly to take advantage of these conditions.
Shooting day for night, or dusk for night, is an older technique that can be used as an effect, but audiences recognize right away. Shooting outside at night is more expensive than day shooting. The lighting equipment is more powerful and therefore more expensive; neighbors can be touchy about noise and lights. Decisions to work outside at night should be weighed carefully.
Effects that are well planned can make you jump out of your seat, and poorly conceived effects just disrupt the story. They must be planned in advance—as early as possible—as to how each effect will be executed and integrated with original photography. All of the following require sufficient planning time, coordination with your editor and post production facility and most have safety ramifications:
- Green screen/blue screen
- Physical effects; models, miniatures, prosthetics, mechanically operated vehicles, puppets, robots, specialty props
- Special makeup effects, used in preparation of prosthetics
- Mechanical effects, like explosions, weather, crashes, bullets.
Shooting outside the country requires three times the planning of a domestic shoot; for research, finding partners and translators and understanding shipping regulations, pricing travel and lodging, dealing with currency and tax issues. You will need to coordinate workflows and communication schedules with parties you are working with (bearing in mind the time difference), as well as build time pads for jet lag recovery (if possible).
Critical Decisions Include
- Who goes and who stays
- Currency and payment in native currency, language, translator
- Laws, rules, regulations, working conditions, holidays
- Threat of transportation strikes/Safety
- Insurance and bond demands re: travel
- Import and export restrictions—money, equipment, medicine
- Social customs—clothing, religious
- Press censorship
Do a thorough cost/benefit analysis of travelling abroad and get in touch with filmmakers who have shot there. Begin discussions with native film commissions as soon as possible.
End of Chapter Six Review
Establishing routines and detailed, actionable checklists assigned to specific people will improve the planning process and the entire production as a whole.
Establish Your Daily Routine
It should address tending to immediate tasks and tasks coming up that require a little attention; point by point: Schedule and Budget, the “Big Deal” of the day, Safety, Food and Comfort for cast and crew, Payroll-related activity, Location, People and Equipment. Recognize that this will continually be interrupted by needs and requirements of various parties during production, so it’s important to establish a rhythm.
The Script, Schedule and Budget Are Interconnected
Staying abreast of changes to any should be discussed and communicated with the AD, Director and department heads. The quickest way to reduce your schedule and budget are to cut pages, cut scenes, locations and characters, as early as possible.
The Line Producer, AD and Production Accountant Work Together
The AD’s focus is on the set and schedule, the Accountant’s focus is on the money and the Line Producer’s focus is on the schedule and budget with input from both the AD and Accountant.
Optimizing the shoot includes reducing unnecessary movement whenever possible; staying aware of weather forecasts and available outdoor light. Understand the consequences of infringing on required times off, such as days off; turnaround time and meal times can result in cost overages. Consider using a 2nd unit to optimize the schedule and budget. Thoroughly consider and plan for other factors, like night shooting, effects and foreign travel which have a significant impact on both the schedule and budget of the film.